Juventus have reportedly joined rivals Inter in the battle for Romelu Lukaku, and they could be willing to offer Paulo Dybala to Man Utd in exchange.
Doubts have emerged over Lukaku’s future at Old Trafford this summer, starting from the fact that he managed just 15 goals in 45 appearances last season.
Coupled with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seemingly preferring more pace and directness in attack through the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, while Daniel James was signed this summer and could provide more of the same, it raises question marks over Lukaku’s role in the side.
As noted by the Mirror, Inter are said to be preparing a new offer for the Belgian international, although it’s added that Man Utd are holding out for £80m. In turn, it remains to be seen if the Nerazzurri are willing, and capable, of matching that valuation to bolster Antonio Conte’s attack.
They are set for competition for his signature now though, as Sky Sport Italia journalist Gianluca Di Marzio has reported that Juventus are also keen on Lukaku, and could be willing to offer Dybala in a swap deal with the Red Devils.
Similarly to the Utd man, the Argentine forward struggled last season as he managed only 10 goals in 42 appearances, and that was largely down to the shift in his role following the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Prior to that, Dybala was a hugely influential figure in Juve’s success after he joined from Palermo in 2015 and has firmly established himself as one of the top forwards in Europe, but that pivotal role is seemingly under threat as Maurizio Sarri will likely look to build around Ronaldo again this year.
Di Marzio adds that United could be interested in the swap deal but it remains to be seen if Dybala is open to a move to Old Trafford.
From Solskjaer’s perspective, the 25-year-old could complement his other strikers perfectly with his technical quality and creativity to go with their pace and movement in the final third, but their lack of Champions League football and doubts over their ability to compete for major trophies this year could be enough to put Dybala off.
